Friends,

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the exemption of 31 refineries from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) biofuel-blending requirements.

Eight of Kansas’ ten ethanol plants are in the Big First District, and combined produce more than 509 million gallons of renewable fuel using corn and sorghum. Exempting these 31 small refineries from their RFS obligations – especially if they do not reallocate the renewable fuel gallons to other obligated parties – will be devastating to Kansas communities, and rural areas in particular.

As Co-Chair of the House Biofuels Caucus, I joined several of my Congressional colleagues in sending a letter last week to the Government Accountability Office formally calling for an investigation and asking for transparency into the process of granting these exemptions. We must, at the very least, understand how these exemption determinations were reached and the economic impact they will have on communities and producers in Kansas and across the country.

Children’s Mercy
Throughout my career as an OB-GYN in rural Kansas, I would collaborate with specialists at Children’s Mercy Hospital several times a year. They served as an extension to my work, and I’m grateful to have had this partnership.

Children’s Mercy recently invited me to meet with their leadership team and tour the hospital, and the construction site for what will be a cutting edge research center. The Children’s Research Institute will pursue answers to pediatric medicine’s most challenging questions.

I’m honored to have played a role last Congress in advancing pediatric medical research through the passage of the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, and advocate for robust funding for NIH. Kansas has the talent and experts to play a key role in medical research and I look forward to seeing, not only the research they will produce, but how they will enhance the Kansas workforce and economy.

YMCA Tour
I received a tour of the fantastic YMCA in Salina and learned about the youth development and childcare programs the facility offers, as well as participate in an exercise class with a group of seniors. Kansas YMCAs serve more than 600,000 people in 30 communities and provide health, fitness, and nutritional programs for people of all ages. I applaud the staff for the excellent work they do for Salinans.

Closing the Digital Divide
Last Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission authorized nearly $191.2 million in support in Kansas over the next decade to smaller, rural carriers utilizing the Universal Service Fund. This assistance can be used to maintain, improve, and expand access to broadband in these providers service areas. It’s another step toward closing the digital divide in rural America, and I applaud Chairman Pai’s commitment to ensuring that all people, no matter where they live, have access to an affordable and reliable internet connection. For more information, Click Here.

USDA Details Trade Damage Estimate Calculations
USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist has published a detailed accounting of how estimated damage from trade disruptions was calculated for its support package for farmers. The Chief Economist’s office developed an estimate of gross trade damages for commodities with assessed retaliatory tariffs by China, India, the European Union, and Turkey to set commodity payment rates and purchase levels. This is the same approach used by the World Trade Organization is trade dispute cases.

The full description of the Trade Damage Estimation for the Market Facilitation Program and Food Purchase and Distribution Program is available on the website of USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist.

Investing in Local Health Centers
The Department of Health and Human Services awarded nearly $107 million dollars to enhance efforts of the highest performing and most improved health centers across the county. Funding will go towards enhancing the quality and value of health care they provide to local communities.

Eighteen health centers across Kansas have been awarded a total of $1.25 million in recognition of their achievements as clinical quality improvers, health disparity reducers, and national quality leaders.

FHL Bank
On Wednesday, I took part in a discussion at Topeka Federal Home Loan Bank, one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks in the United States. I learned about how Topeka FHLBank’s programs help our community banks continue their investment in our communities. We spoke about the need for skilled labor in Kansas, the impact of international trade on our economy, and the FHLBank’s affordable housing program, which has awarded $12.2 million in grants to first-time homeowners in the Big First District since 2012.

UAS Tech Forum
I was honored to speak at the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Tech Forum in Salina on Thursday, an event featuring national speakers and top-notch panel discussions focused on precision agriculture, first responders, and UAS innovations.

Several Kansas colleges and the Kansas Department of Transportation have become industry leaders in unmanned flight systems. Kansas has always been a leader in aviation, and I will continue to support innovation to allow for more application of drone technology.

Dr. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, is the First District Kansas Congressman.

Just go ahead and put $8 million into next year’s budget for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and legislators will figure out Medicaid, taxes, schools, and everything else a little later.

You see, the KBI, the state’s top law enforcement agency, now has a fingerprint identification system that is a dozen years old. If it was a car, it would be out of warranty, and while parts are still available, the mechanics who will replace and upgrade them are quitting in about two years, the amount of time it takes to get a new fingerprint system up and running.

Now…anyone think that Kansas isn’t going to replace that computer system which keeps track of criminals?

That KBI computer system makes sure that criminals aren’t schoolteachers or day-care operators or workers, or maybe just applying for a job to be a law enforcement officer or a banker or your accountant.

The KBI isn’t saying whether freshman Gov. Laura Kelly’s initial one-fiscal year budget which broke the former Gov. Sam Brownback-era two-year budgets while she got her feet on the ground is the reason for the late notice of the computer system which is essentially in hospice care.

Instead, KBI folks say there was this problem getting the Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) to OK the reports that proposed updating the KBI system last year, in another administration…

No telling whether the KBI problem getting its new computer request in the short line for consideration was caused by OITS, but it probably means something that almost no legislators in a position to put that update plan in the budget this year had heard of the problem.

Now…depending on how many lawmakers demand to know who in state government knew what and when and why legislators never heard about it, the governor’s order last week to move OITS under the wing of Secretary of Administration DeAngela Burns-Wallace may find some support.

The governor can just with the stroke of a pen move the OITS management to Administration, but now it appears she has at least the KBI computers as a reason to make the move to make sure that the administration, and not a single agency silo, can delay an important-to-Kansans computer deal.

The computer geek community, of course, is split over moving a very technical piece of state government under the wing of a Democrat governor and her hand-picked secretary of administration. The governor can contend that the skill set at OITS is strong, but important information isn’t getting to the right people.

Kelly, when she announced the movement of OITS management to Administration, said that communication between the agency and its customers—the rest of state government—“has been difficult.”

“This was not the fault of the agency’s previous leadership. It is, however, a direct result of the fact that the previous administration split OITS from the Department of Administration and then failed to properly support the move, convey its mission and get buy-in from the rest of state government,” Kelly said.

So, the OITS move that Kelly ordered now has a new reason for that switch, and one that it is going to be tough for lawmakers to oppose with some line item in the budget bill that it will consider next session.

Not often that the governor gets a strong and vital law enforcement and public safety sales tool to use as she redesigns state government, as Brownback/Jeff Colyer left it, is it?

Nope, not often.

And…of course, we’ll see how it works out…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

When it gets much over 80 degrees outside, I become a vegetable. I absolutely have to force myself to do anything out in the woods or at the lake. So when September looms on the horizon I can feel my cocoon begin to crumble around me with the probability that cool weather is afoot. It won’t be long until the air conditioner can be turned off at night and windows can be opened to cool the house with wonderful fall breezes.

September brings with it a plethora of good things besides cool weather. The Kansas State Fair will be just days away. I love the fair, and I look forward to spending time in the Kansas Fur Harvesters booth at the fair talking to people about the advantages of fur trapping. Early duck seasons will be in the wings as avid water-fowlers prepare for teal season in early October. But first and foremost is the opening day of dove season September 1st.

I enjoy waterfowl hunting, but upland bird hunting is not my favorite experience, partially because I possess the wing shooting skills of a four year old, so I’m not a very good or avid dove hunter. Most dove hunting is done in early morning or late evening by waiting for doves to appear at water holes to drink or by ambushing them as they come to feed along patches of wild marijuana or sunflowers.

Just outside Inman are the McPherson Valley Wetlands owned and managed by the Kansas Dept of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) where there is usually water and where there are always sunflowers, both wild and domestic, making the area a dove hunters paradise hunted by dozens and possibly hundreds of dove hunters each season. So even if my “old-timers” disease makes me forget the first day of dove season, I will be reminded at first light as that area just out of town will sound like military maneuvers are in progress. The little beggars zoom in-and-out like tiny missiles, and if you can hit them you can hit anything. Believe me there is no finer table fare than dove breast, but harvesting enough doves for a good meal can be a challenge.

This year, youth dove hunts will be sponsored on opening morning by Pheasants Forever, Westar’s Green Team and by the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation. The Osborne County Pheasants Forever chapter in partnership with the KDWPT will sponsor a youth dove hunt for youth ages 10 – 16 on September 1st and 2nd. Kids must be pre registered by calling the Glen Elder Area Office at 785-545-3345, or Chris Lecuyer at 785-545-3345 or John Cockerham at 785-346-6527.

The Westar Green Team is again hosting its annual youth dove hunt on September 1st and 2nd for youths 16 and under at Jeffrey Energy Center near St. Marys. Hunters are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis, so call Shelly Gomez at 785-575-6355.

The Jayhawk Chapter of the Quail and Upland Wildlife federation will host a dove hunt for youth 15 and under September 1st at Clinton Wildlife Area. To register, contact Dr. John Hill at 785-550-5657.

Dove season is a great time to get yourself and your equipment ready for upland bird and waterfowl seasons while the air is still warm and you can still feel your fingers. Make sure your license and permits are all up-to-date and be sure to have a plentiful supply of shotgun shells, as you’ll most likely take lots of shots to harvest just a few birds.

But like I said, if you can hit a flying dove, you can hit anything! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].